


Burn Bright 'til We're Not

by Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool



Category: Waterparks (Band)
Genre: Cheating, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 15:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16976901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool/pseuds/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool
Summary: Awsten becomes distant, until he eventually stops hanging out with his friends. Geoff finds out the reason for this at four am, and helps fix things as best as he can.





	Burn Bright 'til We're Not

**Author's Note:**

> Not of the bad sounding tags are explicit, just heavily referenced, and the effects of them are seen.

When it first started out, Geoff didn't notice anything was wrong.   
  
Awsten had this new girlfriend. She was pretty, blonde, and seemed nice. She laughed at Awsten's dumb jokes, she smiled when he entered the room, she didn't bitch that he was away on tour half the year. She was good.   
  
So when Awsten didn't hang out with Geoff and Otto on their off days, it didn't strike Geoff as strange.   
  
Awsten didn't get to spend much time with his girlfriend, so it was understandable that he'd want to spend as much time as possible with her whenever he could.   
  
But Awsten started declining offers to meet up with other friends. Geoff knew, because they all asked him if something had happened, because Geoff spent half the year with the guy, so he was likely to know if something was up. 

Geoff didn't know, but he was starting to suspect something.   
  
It's almost a year and a half into Awsten's relationship, and Geoff is awake late (well, it's probably gotten to the point where it counts as early, but whatever.) It's a good thing he is, because at about four in the morning, someone knocks on his door.   
  
He puts down the mug of coffee he was making, deciding that it must be important for four am, and opens the door.   
  
There stands Awsten.   
  
He's wearing his pink hoodie, and it hangs off his frame a little more than Geoff remembers. He also appears to be wearing pyjama pants, which makes a bit of a fashion statement, but, well, it's four in the morning, so it's not abnormal.   
  
What is abnormal however, is the slight gauntness of his face, and the tears glinting in his eyes.   
  
Geoff takes a step back and let's Awsten in. He's wearing sneakers, but without socks, and the laces are undone. Geoff closes the door behind them, and heads back to the kitchen.   
  
"Want a coffee?" He asks quietly, voice still loud in the early morning silence.   
  
Awsten hesitates, before nodding, worrying at his lower lip. 

Geoff nods back, then sets about making the hot drinks. He walks back into the living room and takes a seat on the couch, placing the mugs on the table. He then pats the seat beside him, as Awsten is still stood in the same spot, seeming to be rather out of things.   
  
The younger man makes his way over, and sits beside him. Geoff sighs softly, and wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.   
  
"What happened?"   
  
"She cheated on me."   
  
After so long without hearing from his friend, Awsten's voice is not what he expected it to sound like. It sounds rough, like he'd been crying, but also as if he hasn't used it much.  
  
Maybe Geoff's jumping to conclusions. Maybe he should keep that thought in mind to look at on a later date.   
  
So Geoff just holds his friend closer as the tears begin to fall, and they stay cuddled together on the couch as the sun rises and Awsten falls asleep.   
  
###  
  
It's a couple of weeks after Awsten appeared at his door at four in the morning, and Geoff has had a flat mate ever since.   
  
Awsten was still a little emotional, but it was mostly just because his (ex)girlfriend pays for their apartment in her name.   
  
During this time, Geoff had a set of notes saved on his phone about how Awsten has changed.   
  
 _'1) wont eat pizza ?????_  
2) eats a lot of fruit  
3) smoothies for breakfast  
4) tidies up a lot  
5) wont do much unless told  
6) wont do anything except tidy if left on his own  
7) barely sleeps  
8) looks ready to cry whenever he does something wrong'   
  
He'd sent the list to Otto and Jawn when he'd first expressed his worry and they'd asked him why he was so worried.   
  
Now all three of them were more than a little concerned, Geoff even more so, as he had to watch these things every day.   
  
"Awsten, do you wanna watch a film or something?" Geoff calls from the couch. It's late in the evening, and Awsten's been buzzing around all day. Geoff's tired from just watching him.   
  
"ve gotta finish putting this washing away." Comes the muffled reply from Geoff's bedroom.   
  
"Awsten." He says a little firmer. He wants to test a theory.   
  
"Y-Yeah?"  
  
"Come and watch a film with me."   
  
There's a moment of silence, then Awsten walks into the room, head bowed slightly.   
  
And Geoff's heart breaks, just a little.  
  
Because this isn't a normal reaction from a normal relationship, even one that ends badly.   
  
Something clearly happened.   
  
Awsten takes his usual seat, curled into Geoff's side, and Geoff selects a film before lacing their fingers together.   
  
Awsten makes a content little noise in the back of his throat, and cuddles up to him.   
  
Geoff kind of wants to kiss him.   
  
But with the way Awsten's acting, it seems he'd let anyone kiss him, just for the feeling of being wanted. 

###

A crash resounds from the kitchen, followed by a yelp. Geoff jumps up from his seat on the couch, and quickly walks into the other room.

"Awsten? What happened-?"

Awsten is knelt on the floor, picking up the pieces of a broken mug, trembling hands causing him to drop them more than he is picking them up. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I didn't mean to- It was an accident- I'm sorry-" By the time Geoff interrupts, tears are streaming down his face, and his breaths are coming as gasps.

"Awsten, Awsten hey, c'mon," Geoff sinks to the floor beside him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and pulling him into his side, "hey, it's just a mug. Are you hurt?"

A sniffle, and then Awsten shakes his head. Geoff knows for a fact he's lying, he can see the small red cuts on the other man's hands from scrabbling to pick up the tiny shards of china.

"C'mon," Geoff stands, pulling Awsten with him, "let's get those hands cleaned up."

Awsten nodded dimly, giving no resistance as Geoff guides him over to the sink. He runs his hands under the water, washing away the left over shards, before leaving Awsten by the sink and going to find the first aid kit.

Geoff grabs a couple of MediWipes, before coming back over and finishing cleaning the tiny cuts. Awsten's hands jerk back on instinct, but other than that, he gives no reaction.

"'m sorry." Awsten says softly, and Geoff's stood so close, he can see the dried tears on his cheeks, fresh ones building in his eyes.

"Awsten, look at me."

He waits until his has eye contact before speaking.

"It's just a mug. It's not important, not as important as you." He pauses, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And I don't know what that bitch did to make you believe otherwise, but a material possession will never be worth more than you."

Awsten nods slowly, and Geoff pulls him into a hug. There's a moment where Geoff thinks Awsten's going to pull away, but he doesn't, he even hugs back.

"I'm not mad," Geoff continues, because it seems like Awsten still needs comfort, "I could never be mad at you for a mistake. I can't blame you for something that's not your fault."  
  
Geoff runs his fingers through the short hairs at the back of Awsten's neck, before pulling away. Awsten looks exhausted, eyes red from crying, eyelids drooping a little.

"I think you should take a nap, recharch."

Awsten nods, bringing his fists up to rub his eyes. Geoff takes a step back, and Awsten hesitates.

"Will you... Will you stay with me?" He asks, looking like a lost child, and Geoff melts a little inside.

"Of course."

And they head to Geoff's room, because he has a bigger bed than there is in the spare room where Awsten's been sleeping.

###

It takes Awsten a while to fall asleep, but when he does it's with his face pressed to Geoff's chest, clutching at his shirt.

Geoff keeps an arm around him, because the first time he tried to move, Awsten started waking up. So Geoff finds his phone and manages to type one handed.

_**Geoff** : I need u guys to come over_

_**Otto** : what's up?_

_**Jawn** : is Aws okay?_

_**Geoff** : Aws broke a mug. Panicked???? He was crying and apologising a lot._

_**Otto** : o h_

_**Jawn** : is he okay?????_

_**Geoff** : a few cuts on his hands, but I sorted those out. He's sleeping now._

_**Jawn** : we'll be right over._

_**Geoff** : don't ring the bell, just walk in._   
_**Geoff:**  he wanted me to stay with him while he slept, so we're both in my room._

_**Otto** : cute.   
 **Otto** : we'll be right over._

###

Otto and Jawn enter the apartment and momentarily wonder if they've walked into the wrong one until they see the kitchen. The whole apartment is spotless apart from the kitchen, where china shards are on the floor.

Then they enter Geoff's, and Jawn gets a few quick photos before Geoff grumbles.

"If you took photos I swear to God-" and he tries to move, but Awsten makes a quiet noise, and Geoff stops.

"You'll do what?" Jawn laughs, "wake up Sleeping Beauty?"

Geoff says nothing except, "get over here, we need a cuddle pile."

Awsten wakes up just as Otto is laying down, to find himself enclosed from both side.

He mumbles a sleepy, "wha-?" and Jawn, who has his arms around Awsten's waist, responds with, "shut up, just except the love."

And Awsten relaxes, and maybe everything is going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Every comment makes me cry. Please.


End file.
